Disconnect by Imran Siddiq

I participated in the blog tour hosted by Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours

Title: Disconnect
Author: Imran Siddiq
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: January 27th, 2013
Publisher: Flickimp Publishing
Pages: 277
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Author
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Dirtying fingernails in sewers is fast approaching worthlessness for Zachary, a 16-year old Underworld scavenger. When footage of an Overworld girl, Rosa, is discovered, his intrigue heightens at why she expresses sadness with a lavish lifestyle.

In meeting Rosa, Zachary is scorned by her opinion of the deprived. She pities him and provides a means for them to communicate. With time, friendship and something he’s never felt grows; love for another human. Knowing Rosa calls him when it suits her isn’t enough; he wants to meet her, but how? Relationships in Underworld are few, let alone the impossibility with those above the ceiling.

Underworld will suffer when plans to conquer Jupiter’s moon, Europa move ahead. Worse is Rosa’s father, a disgraced Overworld ambassador, approving the plan.

Zachary must defeat the prejudice of the worlds, sneak within opposing forces, lose friends and challenge Rosa’s sadness. In doing so, a twisted secret is uncovered that may devour the reason he lives; Rosa.

In space, love had boundaries.

So, anyone who reads this blog knows that I am not a space fan. I really don't like books that center too much on space because it feels like there's too much alien and very bad connections with franchises I just don't like. So I tend to just keep to certain space books (although there is an exception to my rule but that's for another day).

But I am glad this book was very surprising in the way things turned out.

Zachary lives in the Underworld with his father where he spends his day rummaging through the trash that was dropped off from the Overworld in order to find materials to sell off. This is the way that Zachary is able to put food on the table. One day when he finds a communication device filled with materials about a girl from another place; one where Zachary wants to meet her and see.

His obsession over her and it doesn't help when he actually meets her. That's when things get rolling.

Siddiq has created an original world filled with political unrest and a divide that goes beyond even the scope of space.

When those at the top give orders to get rid of the Underworld people - who are considered nothing more than just garbage - everything falls to pieces quickly, and the worse part is that those on top will stop at nothing to get rid of those at the bottom. And one of those people is the Rosa's father himself.

It was simple and clean, and I liked the fact that the story was able to grow and the characters develop at a nice pace. I was surprised by how much I actually liked it and I would recommend this to just about anyone else who is a space lover but not a lover of alien attacks and the like.

Siddiq works to create a wonderful masterpiece.